Green Access Development Officer

Develop your career in Active Travel!

Suffolk’s Green Access service is recruiting to its new planning team. The team leads the council’s response to planning consultations, from minor ones to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). The new team will build on our successes, for example, a £2.8m pot to improve Green Access now the construction of Sizewell C nuclear power station starts.

Green access includes 5,700km of public rights of way (PRoW), open access, and informal routes to enable moving about on foot, bicycle, wheelchair, or horseback. It covers access to green space but also relates to accessing services, workplaces, and schools, whether on PRoW or the road network. Green access is especially relevant to sustainable transport, health, and wellbeing. 

Our vision is “To get more people using and enjoying Suffolk’s Green Access network.”

In this role, you'll scope, negotiate, and deliver Green Access improvements where a planning authority consults the county council on development proposals. You will lead the county council’s responses to planning applications and consultations and we need someone who really cares about improving Green Access and sustainable travel in Suffolk. You will attend important planning meetings, build strategic partnerships, and make sure walking and cycling are prioritised in new developments.

You'll liaise with colleagues in the council’s planning teams, other planners, developers, and stakeholders outside the council. 

This role can improve lives by giving people more opportunities for healthy active travel. You will need to see the bigger picture in creating those opportunities.

• a good understanding of planning law and the impact of development on Green Access and PRoW

• strong team skills and very good communication skills, both written and verbal. you will be able to demonstrate a strong commitment to making walking, cycling and wheeling the first choice of travel, whether on roads or the Green Access network.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (docx). If you think you have what it takes to be successful in this role, even if you don’t meet all the requirements, please apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

Our Rights of Way and Access team sits within the Growth, Highways, and Infrastructure directorate. We oversee Suffolk's Green Access and public rights of way network. Our priorities are outlined in the Suffolk Green Access Strategy 2020-2030 vision, please take a look suffolk-green-access-strategy-2020-2030

We want to champion talent and seek to continuously develop everyone’s professional knowledge, potential and job satisfaction. Through accessible learning opportunities and clear career pathways we aim to identify individual strengths, diversify skill sets and enable people, from all walks of life, to build influential and impactful careers. 

We are big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We are always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from minority ethnic and minority sexual orientation groups. These groups are currently underrepresented in this Directorate. 

For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Andrew Woodin, Development and Improvement Manager, or Sam Russell, Planning Manager (Green Access) for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling: (01473) 264753 for Andrew or: (01473) 260429 for Sam.

To apply and for further details, please visit: https://www.suffolkjobsdirect.org/#en/sites/CX_1004/job/12886 

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. We are also committed to flexible working. 

Suffolk County Council - welcoming diversity.